Senator Marcellino Announces Rotary Awareness Day

Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R-Syosset) today announced that February 23, 2005 will be declared Rotary Awareness Day in the State of New York in celebration of Rotary International’s 100th Birthday.

"Rotary International has a distinguished record of accomplishments. I am proud to have the opportunity to applaud the good works and worthy endeavors of its members and to honor the organization for its unremitting dedication to service above self," said Senator Marcellino.

Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders, that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.

The world's first service club was founded in 1905 when lawyer Paul Harris and three friends met in a small office in downtown Chicago. These men wanted to rekindle in the turn-of-the-century city the spirit of friendliness they had known in their home towns. Word of the club soon spread and others were invited to join. They named their new club "Rotary" to describe the practice of meeting in rotation at the members' various places of business. Today there are approximately 1.2 million Rotary club members of more than 31,000 Rotary clubs in 166 countries. Senator Marcellino is a member of the Oyster Bay Rotary.